Steve Mitchell- USA Today Sports
It is hard to argue that Udonis Haslem isn’t one of the toughest players on the Miami Heat‘s roster. On a team where size is extremely lacking, having an enforcer-type player is extremely important. Although his numbers have been on a steady decline (mostly due to age and health), Haslem is still a tough defender with the capability of getting hot from mid-range.
Haslem has also been a crucial part to the Heat’s postseason success, especially since the formation of the Big Three. During the Heat’s first championship run, Haslem played a huge role during the series versus the Indiana Pacers. With Chris Bosh out with a severe abdominal injury, Haslem stepped up to fill the role of starting center.
Going into the 2013-14 season, head coach Erik Spoelstra will need to monitor how many minutes he is averaging. Considering health has been an issue, Haslem will need to save himself for a potential postseason run. The Heat signed both Chris Andersen and Greg Oden to help limit the amount of minutes both Bosh and Haslem will need to play.
Haslem’s rebounding numbers took a huge hit from 2012 to 2013, dropping from 7.3 rpg to 5.4. This also happened to be the lowest rebounding average of his career. This will need to be the biggest area of improvement for Haslem going forward. Working on becoming a more aggressive rebounder will be extremely beneficial for the Heat, because it is their biggest weakness. Size is key for the Heat, and Haslem will need to play like the big man he is capable of being.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
